HAPPENING 9 SEP 2025 | An informal city walk through Rotterdam invites newcomers to practise their Dutch conversation skills. Volunteers accompany participants to support and encourage spontaneous dialogue.

Practising Dutch while walking through Rotterdam

A language walk (taalwandeling) organised by the initiative Walking & Talking will take place on 9 September 2025, offering an opportunity for people in Rotterdam to practise Dutch in a casual and open setting. The walk is scheduled from 19:15 to 20:45 and starts at Plein. Participation is free of charge.

The format is simple: participants walk together through the city while engaging in Dutch conversation. Each group is accompanied by a volunteer who can assist when someone struggles with a word or sentence. The focus is not on structured lessons but rather on natural conversation.

Welcoming those learning Dutch

Anyone who can speak a basic level of Dutch (minimum A1) is welcome to join. The event is intended for a wide range of participants, whether they have lived in the Netherlands for many years or only recently arrived. The organisers emphasise inclusivity and connection across cultures and backgrounds. Find all the details on the Fenix website.

About the organisers

Walking & Talking was founded in 2019 by Annelies Maris and Masha Neeteson-Nikolaeva. The foundation aims to support adult second-language learners in Rotterdam by offering accessible language practice and encouraging integration through meaningful encounters between fellow residents.

How to get there

Directions to Fenix Plein

The language walk begins at Plein, a centrally located square that is easily accessible by public transport, bicycle or on foot. The area is known for its proximity to the Fenix area and offers a convenient starting point for an evening stroll through the city.

ROTTERDAM, 28 May 2025 – A new interactive app is drawing attention at Diergaarde Blijdorp. Thousands of visitors are engaging with nature education through their smartphones.

Expeditie Blijdorp introduces digital learning in the zoo

Diergaarde Blijdorp has introduced a new digital learning experience through its app, known as Expeditie Blijdorp. The interactive feature, which combines entertainment and education, has recorded 21,000 hours of use in just 14 weeks. It aims to engage visitors—both during and beyond their zoo visits—with biodiversity and sustainability topics.

Launched earlier this year, Expeditie Blijdorp encourages users to participate in educational challenges via their smartphones. Through location-based prompts and home assignments, participants learn about animal species, habitats, and conservation efforts. Activities completed in the app unlock badges, exclusive content, and in-zoo rewards, offering a hybrid experience that connects physical exploration with digital engagement.

Thousands of educational hours logged

The app currently has 100,000 users, who have collectively spent more than 21,000 hours engaged in educational tasks. The initiative has been designed to increase awareness of environmental conservation while making learning accessible and voluntary. According to the zoo, the recorded time is equivalent to over 21,000 biology lessons.

Diergaarde Blijdorp sees this as a step towards fostering long-term appreciation and care for nature, particularly among younger generations. The app has contributed to the zoo’s aim of facilitating low-threshold learning experiences that are both recreational and informative.

Expansion and collaboration with WNF

Encouraged by positive feedback and early adoption rates, the zoo plans to further develop the app with new routes and interactive features. Notably, the World Wildlife Fund (WNF) has collaborated on a dedicated turtle route, highlighting both the beauty and vulnerability of the species.

Carolien Ottjes, Chief Marketing Officer of Diergaarde Blijdorp, commented, “The 21,000 hours of education are more than just a number; they reflect how well we’re responding to the growing trend of combining recreation with learning.”

Supporting long-term engagement

Expeditie Blijdorp plays a central role in the zoo’s broader loyalty strategy, developed in partnership with DPDK for the 2023–2026 period. The app not only enriches the visitor experience but also contributes to behavioural change, public involvement in conservation, and new revenue models. Through digital innovation, Blijdorp continues to explore sustainable approaches to audience engagement.

Directions to Diergaarde Blijdorp

Diergaarde Blijdorp is located in the north-west of Rotterdam, close to Rotterdam Centraal Station. The zoo can be accessed easily via public transport or bicycle, with ample parking for visitors arriving by car. The main entrance is near the Blijdorplaan.

ROTTERDAM, 29 May 2025 – Zadkine and Museum Rotterdam have formalised their longstanding collaboration, marking a new chapter in educational heritage engagement in the city. This partnership aims to deepen student understanding of Rotterdam's wartime and post-war history through customised programmes.

Zadkine and Museum Rotterdam confirm official partnership

Museum Rotterdam and vocational education institution Zadkine have formally signed a partnership agreement, solidifying years of informal collaboration. Students and educators from Zadkine have regularly visited Museum Rotterdam '40 – '45 NU to explore the city’s wartime past and post-war reconstruction.

This new agreement is expected to provide more structured opportunities for students to engage with heritage education and civic themes. These include diversity, democratic values, and social responsibility—core objectives of the Dutch citizenship curriculum (Burgerschap).

Customised programmes for MBO students

In recent years, educators from Zadkine and the museum’s educational team have co-developed tailor-made programmes linking historical themes such as remembrance and freedom to students’ everyday experiences. Lessons extend beyond the classroom and museum setting, often taking the form of walking tours, lectures, or performances.

According to Doriene Reitsma, education coordinator at Museum Rotterdam, the partnership highlights the role of heritage education in vocational schools: “With this partnership, we underline the importance of heritage education at MBO level and how history can build bridges to today’s society. We aim not only to inform students but also to inspire them to think critically about the world around them.”

Marloes de Vries, chair of the Zadkine executive board, commented: “To now officially include Museum Rotterdam as a partner is a valuable step forward. This cooperation enables us to develop more programmes that align with our students’ perspectives, helping them to engage with history in interactive and meaningful ways.”

Educating future generations through local heritage

By officially joining forces, Zadkine and Museum Rotterdam aim to make Rotterdam’s heritage more accessible to students, while highlighting the interconnectedness of the city’s past, present and future.

Location of Museum Rotterdam '40 – '45 NU

Museum Rotterdam '40 – '45 NU is located at Coolhaven 375, in the Delfshaven district. The museum is easily accessible by metro (Coolhaven station), tram and bicycle. The surrounding area features the historic harbour, student housing, and several educational institutions.